Heathwood Hall standout, Ole Miss signee named top SC girls basketball player for 2025
Heathwood Hall’s Lauren Jacobs earned one of the state’s top basketball honors on Thursday.
The senior guard was named the 2025 Gatorade Player of the Year for South Carolina girls high school basketball. Jacobs becomes the third Heathwood Hall player to win the award, joining A’ja Wilson (2014) and Elena Vishniakova (1997). Wilson went on to star at South Carolina and is a three-time WNBA MVP and the face of women’s basketball.
“It feels surreal and truly rewarding to see my hard work paying off in the classroom, the community, and on the basketball court,” Jacobs said. “I would like to give special thanks to the Gatorade Committee, Coach Dickerson, Palmetto 76ers, Coach Zimmerman, my family, friends, and fans for the continuous support. I’m grateful and forever humbled for this recognition and excited for what the future holds.”
It is the fourth-straight year a Midlands player has won the honor. Joyce Edwards won it 2023-24 and Ashlyn Watkins won it in 2022. Edwards also won the Gatorade National Player of the Year last year. In all, 16 different area athletes have won the honor.
Jacobs, an Ole Miss signee, averaged 25.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.7 steals and 2.4 assists per game this year in helping the Highlanders to the S.C. Independent School Association Class 4A semifinals. She finished her high school career with 2,164 points.
Jacobs started her career at Cardinal Newman and finished at Heathwood and was part of four SCISA state championship teams, winning it all with the Cards in 2021-22 and the Highlanders in 2023-24.
Jacobs is ranked as a four-star prospect by ESPN’s HoopGurlz rankings for Class 2025 and 83rd player overall in the country.
The Gatorade award encompasses athletics, academics and character. Jacobs has a 91.9 weighted average in the classroom and has volunteered on behalf of Families Helping Families, the Kim’s Kids Foundation and the Salvation Army.
SC GATORADE PLAYERS OF YEAR FROM MIDLANDS
2025 – Lauren Jacobs, Heathwood Hall
2024 – Joyce Edwards, Camden
2023 – Joyce Edwards, Camden
2022 – Ashlyn Watkins, Cardinal Newman
2019 – Danae McNeal, Swansea
2017 – Jaelynn Murray, Dreher
2016 – Jhileiya Dunlap, Dreher
2014 – A’ja Wilson, Heathwood Hall
2013 – Alaina Coates, Dutch Fork
2012 – Asia Dozier, Spring Valley
2011 – Xylina McDaniel, Spring Valley
2009 – Morgan Stroman, Lower Richland
2008 – Morgan Stroman, Lower Richland
2007 – Morgan Stroman, Lower Richland
2004 – Keturah Jackson, Dreher
2000 – Nikki Jett, Columbia
1997 – Elena Vishniakova, Heathwood Hall
1992 – Natalie Funderburk, Camden
1989 – Jessica Barr, Batesburg-Leesville
This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 8:02 AM.
